Electric signal for engines



(No Model.)

- J. 0. RIOKETSON.

' ELECTRIC SIGNAL FOR ENGINES. No. 4723066. Patented Ma 17, 1892..

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7 WW i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES C. RICKETSON, OF MILNVAUKEE, \VISCONSIN.

ELECTRIC SIGNAL FOR ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 475,066, dated May 17,1892.

Application filed August 31, 1885. Serial No. 175 ,744. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it. known that I, JAMES (J. RIcKE'rsoN, of Milwaukee, in the countyof Milwaukee, and in the State of \Visconsin, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Electric Signals for-Engines, &c.; and I dohereby declare that the following is a f ull,clear, and exactdescription thereof.

My invention relates to devices for indicating at any point distant froman engine or its shaft the direction in which said shaft is revolving,and will be fully described hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a View of the preferred form of my devicein elevation with portions in section to better show the construction.Fig.2 is a detail view of the same, also partly in section; and Figs. 3and 4; are detail views showing modified constructions of theactuating-rods.

My invention is adapted for use with a marine or other reversibleengine, and B represents its main shaft, and at any convenient point onthe latter I attach a spur Z).

O O are electric bells, which may be located at any given point desired.For instance, the principal use of my device being on a steamboat, thebells might be located in the pilot-house, so that the person directing.the course of the vessel would have instant knowledge, by the ringing ofone or the other of the bells C C, as to whether the engine was workingahead or backing, and hence whether his directions were being carriedout or not.

D D are two rods which are suspended in any convenient and suitablemanner, (as by the timbers E E or other beams orbraccs,) so that one rodshall be on each side of the shaft B. The said rods are preferablyformed with shoulders 61 d to prevent said rods from dropping too fardownward, and with inclined lifting lugs or teeth (I and 01,respectively, for engagement with the spur b on the shaft 13. Just aboveeach rod D D are two buttons 0 and 0, having the ordinary wireconnections with their respective bells O and C. Now, supposing that theshaft is revolved in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, the spur Z)on the shaft will be carried under the lug d and raise the rod D so thatits upper end will press the button c,and this will ring the bell 0. Asthe shaft continues its revolution the spur Z) will next encounter theinclined surface of the lug (Z and simply push the rod D out of the way,(the under sides of the shoulders d being preferably beveled to enablethis to be done with the least resistance) and then as the said spuragain comes against the underside of the lug d the rod D will be againraised, the button 0 again pressed, and the bell C will again ring, andso on, once for each revolution of the shaft in that direction. If theengine is reversed, then the same operation will take place with theother rod D and bell C.

In order to insure that the rods D or D shall be brought back toposition after being pushed aside, as described, I have devised a springattachment to said rods, which may be made in a variety of ways, oneform being shown in Figs. 1 and 2. ing a coiled spring Gand verticalplate II, the latter having guides h h at top and bottom projectingthrough upper and lower longitudinal slots ff in the tube F, the rodsDand D also passing through said slots.

The plates II are useful when the rods D and D are round rods; butotherwise they may be dispensed with, and, in fact, the springs may beof any preferred construction and secured in any convenient location, soas to yield when the rods are pressed against them, and thus when thispressure (of the spur 1) against the teeth cl d) is removed to act inforcing the rods back to place. Ordinarily gravity alone will accomplishthis; but the action of the springs will make the working of the devicea little more certain. The tubes F may be supported on any convenienttimbers, to which they may be clipped, as shown.

Although I have described the specific construction of the preferredform of my invention minutely,I do not wish to be understood as beinglimited thereto, as the details may be varied in an infinite variety ofways without departing from the spirit of my invention. I may attach twospurs b to the main shaft 13, for instance,the result of which would bethat the signal-bell would be rung at every halfrevolution of the shaftinstead of once at every complete revolution of the same, and it isobvious that the lugs d (2 might be disposed on the rods D D in aninverted posi- F is a tube contain-- tion, the said rods being supportedon or suspended by springs, and with the buttons of the electric bellsbelow said rods (or below projections therefrom) instead of above, asshown in Figs. 3 and 4, in which event the spur I) would of courseoperate to draw the rods D and D downward instead of raising them.Inasmuch as it is only on certain 00- casions that need exists for mydevice, I show in Fig. 1 means for suspending its operation temporarily,the same consisting of a hanger I, extending from any convenient timbermidway between the rods D D and carrying pivoted to its lower end (whichmay be forked) a lever 1', having cords 'i' t" at each end, whereby thesaid lever may be brought to a horizontal position, when required,thereby forcing the rods D D apart, so that their lugs cl d will bebeyond the reach of the described spur Z).

My invention is applicable to all kinds of engines and can be applied toany shafting to indicate the direction of its revolution.

In place of or in addition to the electric bells O C shown I may useannunciators of any form desiredsuch as those used in telephoneexchanges, hotels, &c.which will drop when the electrical contact hasbeen made, as described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a revolving shaft having a spur attached thereto,a pair of distant signals each electrically connected to push-buttons, apair of movable push-rods, one located on each side of said shaftadjacent to said push-buttons and bearing lugs normally located in thepath of motion of said spur, a hanger supported midway between saidpush-rods, and a lever pivoted to said hanger and provided with cords ateach end, whereby the said lever may be brought to a horizontalposition, when required, so as to force the push-rods apart out ofcontact with the said spur, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

2. The combination of a revolving shaft having a spur attached thereto,a pair of distant signals electrically connected to pushbuttons, a pairof movable push-rods located on each side of the said shaft adjacent tosaid push-buttons and bearing lugs with horizontal and inclined surfaceslocated normallyin the path of motion of said spur, and springs bearingagainst each push-rod, whereby the said spur in its movement will firstbear against the horizontal surface of the lug on one push rod andthereby force said rod against its adjacent push-button to actuate thecorresponding signal, and then bear against the inclined surface of thelug on the other push-rod and thus force it out of the way, while thesaid springs serve to restore the rods to their normal positions afterthe said spur has passed from contact with their said lugs,substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoingl have hereunto set my hand, atMilwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, in thepresence of two witnesses.

JAMES C. RICKEISON. lVitnesses:

H. G. UNDERwooD, N. E. ()LIPHANT.

